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Bount (Seireitou)
Absorption | notable members = Unknown }} Bounts (バウント, Baunto) are a tribe of mediums that possess supernatural powers. Similar to that of the , they originate from the and precede the era of the . Their distinct feature is that they possess the power to absorb , which invigorates and sustains them while also elevating their physical and spiritual abilities nigh infinitely. However, as a result of this power, they became unable to enter the circulation of souls, and were rendered immortal beings. Should their bodies perish, their souls will continue to drift along until latching onto another living being close to where they initially died. Being slain by a does not allow them to pass on to nor can their souls be judged by . They are destined to remain bound to the human realm for all eternity. Within human folklore, their existence is synonymous with that of vampires. History .]] General Traits Exile from the Soul Cycle: The power to absorb souls is a passive characteristic of a Bount's existence originating from the first Bount that was born during the . Because of this trait, their soul is incapable of entering the circulation of souls upon their death. It is suggested that because they drain the soul from those around them, should their own soul enter the circulation, it would start to pull souls toward itself and eventually cause the entire circulation to stagnate just as it did with the first that had to be destroyed by the long ago. As such, the world itself naturally rejects their existence, and makes it impossible for them to enter the circulation as a result. When they die, for whatever reason, their soul will linger in the human world until latching onto the soul of a living being near them when they first died, allowing them to possess their bodies and assume their identity. Immortality: Because they can absorb souls and take over the soul of another if their bodies perish, the Bounts are immortal beings. It is impossible for them to die in the traditional sense and their existence will continue to persist until the entirety of their own original soul is completely destroyed. Absorbing souls allows them to reinvigorate themselves, granting a Bount eternal youth and vitality so long as they continue to feast upon souls. The only way to truly kill a Bount completely is to destroy their original soul. Every attempt made to kill them will shave off from the energy acquired through absorbing souls, and if their bodies are killed, their soul will simply latch onto another living being. Only by completely destroying their soul can a Bount be killed for good, which would likely require the powers of a . However, because their soul is exiled from the circulation of souls, destroying the soul of a Bount has no negative effects on the balance of souls. Destroying them, however, becomes all the more difficult with every soul they are able to consume. The stronger their own soul becomes by absorbing other souls, the more unlikely it becomes to actually destroy them completely. Powers Soul Absorption: The key power of a Bount is in their ability to absorb . It is a trait born to their tribe since the first Bount from the . They can absorb souls through a variety of means, often depending on the level of control they have over their own abilities. One particular method, which has become immortalized by the vampire myth, is through physical contact in which a Bount bites down on a victim and sucks out their soul (their vital force, often synonymous with blood in folklore). After absorbing the soul of their victim, it is broken down and integrated into their own soul, similar to how humans consume food and their bodies break down the nutrients. For Bounts, souls are both sources of nourishment as well as sources of power. In this way, they can be likened to more so than or . *'Empowerment:' Just like humans and other spiritual beings, Bounts also possess and are able to emit . Absorbing souls enhances their own reiryoku and thus elevates their reiatsu, allowing a Bount to continuously become stronger with every soul they absorb into them. Similarly, their physical strength is also enhanced proportionally to their soul intake as well. It is said that a Bount can become infinitely stronger, suggesting there is no limit to how powerful they can become through the absorption of souls. *'Spiritual Appraising:' As an extension of their ability to absorb souls, a Bount can appraise and assess a soul's quality and characteristics. Often times, this is done through physical touch. The Bount can determine how strong they are, the nature of their soul, aspects of their personality and origin, and even the potential of their growth. Some Bounts are so skilled that they can appraise a soul simply through observation or by standing within the range of their reiatsu. *'Ability Integration:' Depending on the nature of the soul absorbed, and the sheer amount of that particular type, a Bount may be able to develop special abilities related to that type of soul. For instance, absorbing souls would enable a Bount to gain Hollow abilities, such as . This has allowed the Bounts to acquire innumerable supernatural powers that have furthered their reputation as vampires in human folklore, believing that they are capable of magic and hypnosis, among many other feats. *'Reishi Absorption:' Given that are, in essence, the scattered remnants of souls that have broken down into particles over time, a Bount can absorb them in a similar method as they do complete souls. However, the extent to which they can absorb reishi is vastly inferior to that of the Quincy. Their ability is limited solely to absorption, as they are unable to manipulate reishi nor shape it into weapons. For the most part, reishi is utilized for instant healing purposes, allowing a Bount to restore their physical bodies should they suffer any external injuries. They can even use reishi to heal internal organs. Andacht (神聖泣 (アンダクト), Andakuto; German for "Prayer", Japanese for "Sacred Song"): Certain Bounts, those that have absorbed a sufficient amount of souls, are able to perform spells reminiscent of Shinigami . By uttering particular words or phrases, a Bount can impose an 'order' onto the world around them and cause miraculous phenomena to occur; performing feats that are on the level of true magic. It is said that possessing a particular density of souls causes a Bount to develop a sort of 'spiritual weight' that can distort reality; a phenomenon likened to immense gravity causing spacetime distortions. Directing that soul density through a verbal command is what allows a Bount to perform these spells. Doll Similar to that of and , Bounts possess a representation of their power called a Doll (ドール, Dōru). In essence, it can actually be considered closer to that of , who also seal their own powers upon evolving into the form of a sword. The Bounts originally learned how to do this by mimicking Shinigami. When a Bount gathers enough souls through absorption, they are able to channel those souls into a focal point, condensing those innumerable souls onto a single point through a seal. The end result becomes the creation of a sentient being with unique abilities; a process likened to the gathering of that become a . In some cases, the Doll spirit is born within a Bount long before they section off the souls within them onto a medium. However, it is only by granting them a form of their own can the Doll spirit manifest completely. While dormant, a Doll is usually sealed into an object bearing a crest unique to the Bount, and can be summoned through an Andacht command; particularly, "Zeige Dich", which orders the Doll to reveal itself. Dolls take on a variety of forms, often resembling strange and mythical creatures, or even taking on elemental golem-like forms; the possibilities are endless. In most cases, a Doll takes on a form based on the nature of the souls that spawned its creation, and as such, a high concentration of a certain type of soul can skew the characteristics of the form the Doll will take. For example, an excess of Hollow souls will likely result in a Doll that resembles a Hollow. As sentient beings, Dolls can often act without the need of a Bount's command, even fighting their battles for them without direction. However, Dolls do not always take on the form of a living creature, or rather, the Doll can actually morph into the form of weapons that are to be utilized by their Bounts. Some more cooperative Dolls can even change their forms to better suit their Bount's needs in battle, while some Dolls actually possess natural released states resembling weapons rather than taking on the form of a creature or living being. It all comes down to the nature of the Doll itself. Similarly, the powers a Doll manifests are also based on the souls used for its creation, though it appears the Bount's own soul also plays a role in the abilities gained by a Doll. It is similar to how the mask of a Hollow, which was once its heart, is the source behind a Hollow's own unique powers. While Dolls are very reminiscent of Zanpakutō, they are actually far more aggressive and hostile in most cases due to the nature of their creation. It is said this is because a Doll was created using souls that were stolen from victims by a Bount, and it is their cries, anguishes, and regrets that are concentrated into the Doll which is an amalgamation of those souls. Therefore, because of this bestial-like instinct, a Doll and Bount almost always exist in a servant and master relationship. If a Doll senses weakness or doubt in a Bount's heart, it will usually not hesitate to consume its own handler, killing the both of them in the process. However, most Dolls are considerably intelligent and prone to acting on survival instincts, making it unlikely for them to turn on their masters unless driven to by their primal instincts. Summoning a Doll can be done through several different methods, though every process is all predicated on the idea of funneling the souls within a Bount into a focal point and then sealing them into the object in question. This process suggests that a particular amount of souls are needed to successfully summon a Doll, and depending on how many and what types of souls were involved in the creation of a Doll, its nature, characteristics, and level of power are representative of those factors. Even after their creation, Dolls can continuously become stronger alongside their Bount through either training or through souls. Bounts typically will continue to store their souls into the Doll as the two are forever linked together. In a sense, a Doll serves as a reserve for a Bount, allowing them to safely store the souls they continue to absorb into the Doll. Because they are linked, every soul absorbed strengthens both the Bount and the Doll. As such, if a Doll is ever destroyed, the majority of souls a Bount may have accumulated over the years will also vanish, and in most cases, the rapid aging that takes place as a result causes the Bount's physical body to break down onto mere ashes. Similarly, in cases where the Doll manages to overpower the will of a Bount, it is possible that a Doll may forcefully suck out the souls within a Bount, along with their own, completely overtaking them in the process. Dolls, even those born with a Bount, cannot fully materialize their powers without taking on a form of their own. As such, it is crucial that a Doll be summoned for those powers to manifest. However, after this is successful, it is possible for a Bount to actually absorb their own Doll into their bodies, enabling them to utilize a Doll's power as their own without the need of summoning them. Fusing with a Doll is typically a permanent arrangement, but there are cases where a Bount and Doll can temporarily fuse together to achieve tremendous power. Doll fusion is often likened to that of . However, such an act is very rare even in the history of the Bounts, and has only ever been accomplished by the most powerful of Bounts. It has been demonstrated that there are other types of Dolls beyond the traditional one created by a Bount that represents their own powers. Through the use of the Andacht, it becomes possible for a Bount to create different types of Doll-like entities for specific purposes. One case of these types of Dolls are the . These are usually created to accomplish short-term goals, such as the Bitto which were created to more efficiently gather souls without a Bount needing to go from one victim to the next on their own. Known Bounts Behind the Scenes In a manner similar to Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, the concept of the from the anime filler arc has been rewritten and adapted to fit within the established canon. As such, this is based entirely on the ideas and preferences of the article's author and is therefore to be treated the same as any fan-made article on this site.